SOIL MOISTURE SENSOR

General Description:

The soil moisture sensor is a sensor used to measure the moisture of soil that is in the active root. Mainly used in the agriculture sector, gardening, and research purposes.

Working Principle:

This sensor primarily uses capacitance to measure soil moisture content (permittivity). The functionality of this sensor can be performed by inserting this sensor into the soil and reporting the moisture content status of the soil in percentage. Soil moisture content may be determined via its effect on the dielectric constant by measuring the capacitance between two electrodes implanted in the soil. Where soil moisture is predominantly in the form of free water (e.g., in sandy soils), the dielectric constant is directly proportional to the moisture content.

The probe is normally given a frequency excitation to permit measurement of the dielectric constant. The readout from the probe is not linear with water content and is influenced by soil type and soil temperature. Therefore, careful calibration is required and the long-term stability of the calibration is questionable.

Specifications:

1. Integrated with LM393 comparator module.
2. Dual output analog and digital.
3. It has to fix bolt holes for easy mounting.
4. Operating voltage is 3.3 - 5v.
5. Current flow is 20mA.

Applications:

1. Agriculture.
2. Landscape irrigation.
3. Research.
4. Gardening.